Music

Discussion 4

A. List Three positive aspects of the "Record Contract" (be aware that Albini is presenting an almost entirely negative view, so you will have to infer the positive).

Large cash advances, professional arrangements of everything from tour bus to instrument tuning(Albini Page 6), and reaching a wide audience because of the record label.

B. List Three negative aspects of the DYI model that is described in Thompson's article.

Immediate feedback of songs causes censoring in new songs to make them just as successful or better than previous songs, audience wants direct interaction and has come to expect it-“In many ways, the Internet’s biggest impact on artists is emotional. When you have thousands of fans interacting with you electronically, it can feel as if you’re on stage 24 hours a day.” (Thomson Page 4) Personal life will be invaded by intrusive fans: directly and indirectly- “Post in the morning, when you’re no longer drunk.” (Thomson Page 5)

C. Find an example of an artist that has gone from the Big Record Contract to a DYI model, or vice versa. Research the artists career online, and summarize any benefits or difficulties that they experienced in the transition. (To answer this properly will take a paragraph, or so).

In mid-2007 Reznor of Nine Inch nails publically condemned Universal Music Group, parent of Interscope Records, his own label. Specifically, he addressed pricing issues on his music in Australia, in fact so much so that at his concert there he told people to steal his music online. By October of that year he finished his contract with Interscope and vanquished himself from the record label. He’s encountered obstacles from the record label after this when trying to distribute remixed music online, but was able to overcome them.

D. If you had the choice to become a professional musician, which route would you prefer to take, and why?

DYI model because I don’t think I’d mind most of the cons of doing it myself such as blogging with...